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Tuesday, May 6, 2014

What a week it has been. We had six consecutive days of rain and that meant no planting could happen in our part of Iowa. However, that did mean major progress on our basement renovations and a start on the guest bedroom update.

Last Thursday we made a trip over to Cedar Falls, IA to watch the Farmland movie. It was awesome. Make sure you check out the Farmland website to see if the movie is playing near you. The movie is also supposed to be coming out on DVD this summer. One of the highlights of the night was meeting my Instagram/blogger friend Nicole aka Farm Girl Chaos. She is an amazing dessert baker, junk lover and awesome farm girl. She made the Boy and I these awesome keychains.

After peeling what seemed liked a million glow in the dark stars off the ceiling of our guest bedroom, I then primer the walls and started testing neutral paint colors. I pretty much have no idea what I want because the floors are currently getting refurnished a darker color and I know one day these room will serve a different purpose (dare a nursery in the far distance future). Why is picking a color so hard?

Our last calf was finally born, and it was another heifer calf. We have way more heifers than bulls this year. It is so fun to watch all of the calves growing like weeds right now. This little girl looks itty bitty next to our January heifer calves, but she'll grow fast.

Remember when I said is had been raining non-stop, well on Sunday it stopped! Therefor, planting corn and soybeans has resumed. And that means the Boy and I are pretty much on exact opposite schedules again. He gets in the tractor between 8 and 10 p.m. every night and then gets home at 8 a.m. and goes to bed while I am starting my work day. This has been going on for the past three days, and will continue until either it rains or they finish planting. If you are on Twitter or Instagram follow #plant14 for a lot of cool updates and photos.

How has your week been? Have you noticed more tractors in your area or is your family enjoying the green grass and slightly warmer temperature?

Friday, May 2, 2014

I was so excited to see a lot of "old friends" and new faces in our Spring Beauty Swap. It was fun having Taysha of Dirt Road Charm host with me since we are both make-up specifically MAC lovers. For those of you wondering what a Beauty Swap is check out this link and then watch my blog and Crystal Cattle Facebook page for the announcement of when the next swap will be.

I was paired up with Lauren. Lauren and I met many years ago at the National Cattlemen's Beef Convention. Although, we haven't been able to cross paths face to face again, we stay in touch via social media. I loved what Lauren sent me!

Lauren definitely gets big points for presentation. She has gorgeous handwriting/calligraphy. I'll explain a little more about the "sparkle box" in a minute.

In just over a week the Boy and I are going to the Dominican Republic with some friends, so Lauren kept that in mind.

1. Moroccan Oil - I have actually used Moroccan Oil before and love it. Lauren't timing was perfect because I am almost out. My sister first introduced me to this product. She and I have really fine hair and one day I noticed how soft her hair was, and asked her secret. She told me Moroccan Oil. I was pretty skeptical that an oil would work on my fine hair, but it does. You only need a tiny amount, think dime size or less and then you work this through you hair, while it is wet, starting at mid shaft to the ends. My hair is softer, less frizzy and I think takes less time to blow dry when I use this product. I also love the Moroccan Oil brand hairspray.

2. Too Faced Beauty Balm - On a recent trip to Sephora I had tired this product, but hadn't purchased yet so I was so excited when Lauren included this beauty balm. She too was introduced to it via a previous Beauty Swap partner. It is perfect for those days that I want some coverage, but not wanting to apply foundation. Plus, it is SPF 30, which will be perfect for vacation. I have used the MAC Beauty Balm in the past, and I like how it wears, but there isn't one light enough for my fair completion. The Too Faced Snow Glow is perfect for me.

3. Aquaphor Lip Repair - Lauren lives in Arizona and said this is her favorite SPF lip balm. No one likes chapped or worse burnt lips so I am excited to use this product.

4. MAC Patent Lip Polish - I love this lipstick! It definitely has color, but feels kind of like a gloss, but has more staying power than a gloss. Make sense, lol? The color is Fearless and is the perfect pink shade, not hot pink, but not baby pink either. I recently, feature this lipstick in my Spring Five Favorites.

Now onto the sparkle box. This box was started by Erin Worrel, passed onto Melanie Acklin and then to Lauren. Now, it is in my possession. Each of their names and the date is wrote on the inside of the box. My next Beauty Swap partner will receive this box!

About Me

These are just a few of the stories that make up the life of an ag girl. I have a passion for agriculture, and want to see farmers remain on the land, raising food for all of us. You'll also get a dash of cattle life from around the country as I travel for work, and some commentary on my hectic life. I love photography, video production, K-State (yes I bleed purple), the livestock industry and have bounced from Alberta, to Kansas, to Missouri, to Iowa. Stay tuned. Follow me on Twitter and Instagram @crystalcattle